Thanks to a dominant spring, the Seattle Mariners will carry top prospect Julio Rodríguez on the Opening Day roster, the team announced Monday. Rodríguez joins Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr., Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson and Reds righty Hunter Greene as elite prospects to make their team's season-opening rosters in 2022.
Rodríguez, 21, has crushed the ball all spring, going 13 for 31 (.419) with four doubles and three home runs. He's also stolen three bases and shown improved speed and range in the outfield, which was an area of focus during the offseason. Last season Rodríguez authored a .347/.441/.560 batting line with 13 homers and 21 steals in 74 games between High Class-A and Double-A.
Last month our R.J. Anderson ranked Rodríguez the third-best prospect in baseball behind Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Witt. Here's his write-up:
Rodríguez fits the right-field prototype with a middle-of-the-order offensive projection and a strong arm. He has well-above-average power and a better feel for contact than most with this profile. Indeed, Rodríguez struck out in just 18 percent of his plate appearances during his 46-game introduction to Double-A last season, an impressive piece of business for someone who can't legally drink until Dec. 29. The Mariners have shown they're more than willing to manipulate the service time of their top prospects to save a buck, suggesting they'll likely do the same thing with Rodríguez. Nonetheless, he should debut in the majors before the season is out.
Last February former Mariners president Kevin Mather admitted the club planned to manipulate the service time of their top young players, specifically outfielder Jarred Kelenic and righty Logan Gilbert. Rodríguez falls into that group as well, and carrying him on the Opening Day roster indicates Seattle won't play service-time games. Mather resigned shortly after his comments became public.
All it takes is 15 days in the minors to delay free agency eligibility one year. MLB and the MLBPA agreed to several measures to curb service time manipulation in the new collective bargaining agreement. Specifically, players will be awarded a full year of service time if they finish high in the Rookie of the Year voting, and teams receive extra draft picks for young players who perform well.
Rodríguez will join Kelenic, who struggled when he was first called up last season, and Mitch Haniger in Seattle's outfield. That allows Jesse Winker to slot in at DH. The Mariners open the 2022 regular season in Minnesota on Thursday. Their home opener is scheduled for April 15 against the Astros.
